Department of Communication Disorders, Sacred Heart University, 5151 Park Avenue, Fairfield, CT, 06825, USA.
Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Northwestern University, 2240 Campus Drive, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA.
J Autism Dev Disord. 2021 May;51(5):1658-1667. doi: 10.1007/s10803-020-04647-5.
Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) demonstrate delayed and atypical communication development. These deficits constitute a core criterion for the diagnosis of ASD, though information regarding gestural communication in toddlers with ASD remains limited. The present investigation implemented a robust gesture classification system in order to obtain quantitative measures of gesture production in a cohort of toddlers with ASD (n = 40) and controls (n = 40) during 10-min, play-based interactions with caregivers. Children with ASD produced fewer overall gestures and gesture subtypes compared to controls. The ASD group also displayed atypical patterns of gesture production. These findings highlight the need for evidence-based screening, assessment, and intervention protocols pertaining to gestural communication in toddlers with ASD.
自闭症谱系障碍（ASD）儿童表现出沟通发育迟缓及异常。这些缺陷构成了 ASD 的核心诊断标准，尽管有关自闭症谱系障碍幼儿手势交流的信息仍然有限。本研究采用了强大的手势分类系统，以便在与照顾者进行 10 分钟基于游戏的互动期间，对自闭症谱系障碍幼儿（n = 40）和对照组（n = 40）的手势生成获得定量测量。与对照组相比，自闭症儿童的总手势和手势亚型都较少。ASD 组还表现出异常的手势生成模式。这些发现强调了需要制定基于证据的筛查、评估和干预协议，以针对自闭症谱系障碍幼儿的手势交流。
